The present invention relates to improvements in and relating to rotors.
The term "rotor" is used in the present specification as a very broad term covering any rotating body the rotation of which is able to perform useful work. Such work may include functions analogous to those performed by known gyroscopes and rotational energy storage devices, as well as, it is believed, displacement and control functions in orientatable bodies.
The innumerable uses of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the engineering, aeronautical and other fields but it is to be understood that the present invention has application wherever the rotation of a body to perform useful work is involved. Immediately apparent uses of the present invention will therefore include the rotating core of an electrical generator or turbine, a gyroscopic body the rotation of which may be utilised as a stabiliser within a land, sea, air or space vehicle or as a means of effecting a displacement of a land, air, space or sea vehicle, a rotating crushing member of a pulverisers, or even as a toy.
Whenever the term "rotor" is used in the present specification it is therefore to be understood that it is intended to cover all possible uses.
To the present time various types of rotors which are well known including those for the aforementioned uses but all of which suffer from one or more disadvantages relating to efficiency, cost and/or stability for example.
In PCT/AU97/00417 for example there is a proposal for gyroscopic rotors to be utilised in order to generate thrust. In various types of vibration generating apparatus, see for example U.S. Pat. No. 4,257,648 and United Kingdom patent 540,093, vibrations can either be created or damped using a rotor. In any typical electrical generator or motor, a rotor comprising an armature will rotate within a stator.
In all such cases considerable inefficiencies will be experienced as the rotor is brought up to speed, or where its speed is changed, particularly in respect of the losses due to work done in overcoming friction.
It is desirable that where energy is imparted to a rotor in the form of rotational angular momentum, the rotor retains that energy for as long as possible. Thus the conversion of the rotational energy into useful work performed by the rotor may be as efficient as possible. To this end, energy losses such as those caused by frictional effects and the like must be avoided or at least minimised. Similarly optimum rotor geometries may be selected so as to provide the best energy retention properties as practicable in the particular situation in which the rotor is to be used.